Celebrating the life and legacy of Wangari Maathai

Maathai’s impact is arguably beyond compare, and yet it remains rarely spoken. She remains a pioneer who fought the vicious cycle of environmental destruction and poverty, nationally and internationally. Since starting the Green Belt Movement in 1977, over 51 million trees have been planted and over 30,000 women have been trained in conservation trades that help them earn a sustainable income, such as beekeeping and forestry. Moreover, the Billion Tree Campaign has seen universal success and has transformed into the Trillion Tree Campaign with ever greater ambitions, particularly needed as climate change accelerates.

The environmental movement has been particularly whitewashed; we often hear about individuals such as Greta Thunberg and Leonardo DiCaprio or groups such as Extinction Rebellion or Greenpeace, with those from the global North the face of a movement that disproportionately affects those in the global South. Maathai represents those in developing countries who have seen first-hand what climate change is doing to their communities and who are making the biggest waves to counter environmental degradation without similar kudos from the global community. She is an inspiring example of how grassroots activism can make a real impact and instigate change internationally. There is still work to be done – climate change, democracy and the livelihoods of women and girls in rural areas all need urgent attention – but Maathai’s story teaches us that listening to those in the global South is key to finding innovative, sustainable solutions to many of today’s crises.

Maathai was a trailblazer for women in so many ways. Her admirable qualities including intellect, bravery and compassion are what led Hillary Clinton to note that her death left ‘a gaping hole among the ranks of women leaders.’ For the women and girls who know about Maathai, her accomplishments provide hope, particularly for those in Africa, that they can themselves become leaders and changemakers. Celebrating and spreading her story shows women, especially Black women, that they can occupy spaces they never thought were open to them.

Photo: Wangari Maathai in Seattle, April 2009. Photo by S pants/WorldChanging. Licensed under CC BY 2.0.